On a 16-day trip to Argentina, cosmopolitan hotelier Tina Cuevas finds herself immersed in beguiling Buenos Aires with an atypical itinerary
Buenos Aires is one of the world’s largest cities— the “Paris of the South,” a remnant of European traditions and education, beating with the tango as its pulse into the modern age. The Old World peeks at every corner—some painted in bright colours and graffiti—that turn into streets lined with 19th century architecture; the New World stakes its claim on the art: the visual a depiction of Argentina’s emancipation in the 1800s, while its literature a diary of the mundane struggles strewn with otherworldly beliefs.
Tourists that visit Buenos Aires are, unsurprisingly, captivated by the city’s magic—and I was no different. I explored it with my friend Maria Elena Rudolf—she for art and tango, while I for a sojourn to enjoy a Latin American autumn in May. Elena is a good friend and she was the one who convinced me to join her on this trip and explore Buenos Aires for the first time together. Elena and her husband, Lorenzo, are quite the art enthusiasts. They are the founders of Art Stage Singapore and Jakarta and are also well connected in the art scene in Buenos Aires, which literally opened doors for us. In the Philippines, art is exhibited in galleries, but in Buenos Aires, the art exhibits I was invited to were held in private homes. That was the difference, and I liked it. And I loved the food, so good. I’m carnivorous and Argentine cuisine is really perfect for me.
One of the most memorable moments of our trip was be when the famous Argentine photographer, Aldo Sessa, invited us for merienda cena in his studio. It’s located in a very old and charming part of Argentina. Together with his son Luis, he showed us his massive vintage camera collection as well his iconic gallery of photographs. These photographs, of course, showcased a collection that included Los Gauchos—49 black-and-white pictures of South American cowboy culture out of 50,000 shots taken between 1993 and 2016 which, at the time of our visit, were about to be exhibited at the prominent El Centro Cultural Kirchner. I love paintings but he made me realise that good photography is something special, it’s not easy to capture a good photograph. Luis mentioned that when he was young, they would spend, three or four days in a tent, waiting to capture the best picture of these horses. The afternoon went on with Aldo and Luis telling us stories about the photographs in his collection... so merienda turned into dinner as we eventually ventured into Buenos Aires’ night.
One of the most memorable moments of our trip was be when the famous Argentine photographer, Aldo Sessa, invited us for merienda cena in his studio. It’s located in a very old and charming part of Argentina. Together with his son Luis, he showed us his massive vintage camera collection as well his iconic gallery of photographs. These photographs, of course, showcased a collection that included Los Gauchos—49 black-and-white pictures of South American cowboy culture out of 50,000 shots taken between 1993 and 2016 which, at the time of our visit, were about to be exhibited at the prominent El Centro Cultural Kirchner. I love paintings but he made me realise that good photography is something special, it’s not easy to capture a good photograph. Luis mentioned that when he was young, they would spend, three or four days in a tent, waiting to capture the best picture of these horses. The afternoon went on with Aldo and Luis telling us stories about the photographs in his collection... so merienda turned into dinner as we eventually ventured into Buenos Aires’ night.
